Ribbon & Osprey Reefs, GBR

Nigel Marsh · Issue 150, May/Jun 2026 · pp. 37–42

Products mentioned: Nikon D500, Tokina 10-17mm lens, Nikkor 18-300mm lens, Isotta Housing, Inon Z330 strobe, 60mm lens, Spoilsport, Spirit of Freedom, Mike Ball Dive Expeditions

It is amazing how many people think the Great Barrier Reef is dead. Every time I am overseas, I talk to divers who have avoided visiting the Great Barrier Reef because they have heard misleading and often false reports in the media about the state of this natural wonder of the world. Well, I can inform you that the Great Barrier Reef is not dead and in fact it still offers some of the most spectacular diving on the planet. The Great Barrier Reef is huge, stretching over 2300km and comprising over 3000 individual reefs. Over 1600 fish species and 450 coral species inhabit the reef and it is also home to healthy populations of turtles, sharks and rays. The Great Barrier Reef, like all coral reefs around the planet, has suffered from more frequent coral bleaching events in the last decade due to climate change. Fortunately, most of these events are localised and much of the coral recovers, …